Two diverse articles today but both looking at how SIBs can help improve prosperity…interesting reading…
Can Social Investment Help The Nation’s Poorest Students?
Civil Society
Impetus – the Private Equity Foundation believes there is latent potential for using social investment to improve education for young people. Rhian Johns looks at how this could be achieved.
Last month saw the launch of a major research project on the role of social investment in reducing the educational attainment gap amongst disadvantaged pupils. The research was commissioned by us (Private Equity Foundation) and Big Society Capital and authored by the Young Foundation. It calls for social investment to be used to develop and deliver programmes with greater impact.
We are an investor and social intermediary. Our ThinkForward programme was one of the first social impact bonds (SIBs) designed to prevent young people from becoming NEET. Having experience of developing a SIB and now receiving the first payments via the payment-by-results commissioning structure, we were delighted to co-commission this research to better understand the size and scope of the market and identify areas ripe for social investment.
UK – North West Ideas For Maximising European Funding Initiatives
bdaily
Manchester think-tank New Economy have published a study that looks at how different types of financial instruments can be implemented to maximise the impact of grant-funding.
The research provides case studies of how the eight financial instruments, which include urban development funds, business angel finance, social impact bonds and local asset backed vehicles, have already been used across Europe.
It demonstrates how the instruments can help the public sector to leverage larger amounts of investment and to enjoy more local flexibility in how European investment is spent and repaid.
The review has been commissioned by the North West Regional Leaders Board on behalf of the five regions that make up the North West of England; Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Lancashire.